Hazard Warning: Hazard information may be user-submitted and unverified. Conditions change frequently. Always scout rapids and obstacles yourself.
Rapid CA Class IV

Little Dog

San Joaquin - 3. Horseshoe Bend (Redinger Dam to Kerckhoff Reservoir) (CA)

Monitor this Rapid
Gauge Conditions
SAN JOAQUIN River Above WILLOW Creek Near AUBERRY CA Upstream Primary
Runnable: ? – ? CFS

Approximate - nearest available gauge. Use as general reference only.

Data from American Whitewater & USGS
CDEC Flow Data California
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER NFW Primary
Elevation: 5,200 ft
Data from California Data Exchange Center (CDEC)
Photo
Little Dog
Photo courtesy of American Whitewater
Description

The river turns back north and immediately comes to "Little Dog", the lead in rapid to "Big Dog". An easy take-out for scouting is on river left.  Scramble over some boulders to reach a sloping ledge that runs some distance along the river.  You can scout all of Little Dog from this ledge and get a fair view of the entrance to Big Dog.  With some rope work or strong climbing skill, you get onto the next ledge and probably scout Big Dog as well. 

There are left, center and right routes through Little Dog.  The center has more water at lower flows, but the side routes look easier at higher flows.   A second drop just downstream is down the center but steep and very turbulent.  WARNING! Only about 40 yards of swift water separates the end of Little Dog, from the beginning of Big Dog. If someone swims out of Little dog there is a danger of also swimming Big Dog.   At 3000 cfs the two rapids are starting to run together.

Location
Type
Rapid
Difficulty
Class IV
Mile Marker
3.8 mi
Directions
Navigate
View Full Run
3. Horseshoe Bend (Redinger Dam to Kerckhoff Reservoir)
San Joaquin
III-IV(V) 7.0 mi
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater